Jermain Defoe and Jozy Altidore face their former clubs as Sunderland take on Toronto FC in a preseason friendly this week.

Sunderland's third and final chance to avoid defeat on their brief North American tour presents the fascinating prospect of a battle for supremacy between Jozy Altidore and Jermain Defoe when Dick Advocaat's side play Toronto FC on Wednesday.

The two strikers moved between the clubs in an exchange deal in January and each has generally performed better after making the move.

Defoe was hardly prolific in Sunderland's grim second half of the season but his four goals from 17 starts were important,...

Jeremain Lens is expected to clinch a move to Sunderland but Dick Advocaat is likely to miss out on Nicolas Lombaerts.

Sunderland's 1-0 defeat against Sacramento Republic in the first of their three preseason friendlies in North America on Tuesday night was the lesser of two disappointments for manager Dick Advocaat.

The collapse of the club's efforts to sign a key summer target, Belgian centre-back Nicolas Lombaerts, is a significant blow. It was originally claimed he had failed a medical but he sought to clear up the rumours by saying he turned down a possible switch to Wearside. Sunderland remain hopeful of clinching...

Just in case anyone still believed in Dick Advocaat's passable impression of a cuddly uncle, his unsentimental disposal of Santiago Vergini should prove enlightening. Perhaps some of us were fooled by the Dutchman's tears when Sunderland secured the heroic draw at Arsenal that ensured another season of Premier league football, but it does not get much blunter than "I'm sorry for Santi, but he has to go and find another club."

With those words to the local press, Advocaat clearly signalled that...